Doppelganger
by Hopeblossom
Summary: When you meet your doppleganger, you are destined to die soon. But, maybe it doesn't always happen like that. How is one supposed to spot a doppleganger? And if we are all somebody's doppleganger...How do we know that we aren't killers ourselves?
1. Bad Girl

**Chapter One.**

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><p>"You are an evil girl, Rin Kagamine!"<p>

The seven year old girl looked up upon hearing her name. She smirked cheekily at the member of staff. "It doesn't matter. I'm getting adopted."

Rin Kagamine _was _a bad little girl. She did naughty things, and often found that she enjoyed doing them. She set things on fire, for starters. She was manipulative and cruel. She was disrespectful, and not at all ashamed of herself. Adults were just boring. But, her foster parent was okay. She'd be out of the care home soon enough.

Kiyoteru Hiyama, the staff member that had yelled at Rin, scowled sternly. "That boy is a new member of the household. He is a very nice little boy, and there was no need to push him around like that. God knows how _you_ got adopted."

Kiyoteru was quite new at working in the foster home, and he had disliked Rin ever since he laid eyes upon her. She was trouble with a capital T. Kiyoteru had always been a little superstitious because of his mother, who had told his all sorts of things when he was younger.

But in his opinion, you didn't need to know any tales to see the potential in Rin's eyes. There was something about them. They were dark and precocious; the type of eyes that warned you of the danger within, and could easily make a grown person uncomfortable.

Kiyoteru was quite glad the home was getting rid of the girl now. "Go and apologise to him. He should be downstairs, poor boy. He's only just moved here, and he might have a hard time settling in now." The man paused, taking hold of Rin's hand tightly to drag her along with him.

She didn't care though. This new boy would just have to get on with it. He'd have to find foster parents, like her.

Before Rin realised, Kiyoteru had dragged her down the stairs to the corridor where the new boy was standing. He had big, innocent blue eyes and a timid expression. His hair was the same colour as a pale daffodil. He was watching Rin warily. He already had a scraped knee and a banged elbow because of her.

But to be fair, she hadn't meant to push him too hard. Just enough to startle him a little. He shouldn't have been so weak in the first place.

Under the firm stare of Kiyoteru, Rin had to make an apology. "I'm very sorry for pushing you," she said, lacking remorse. She almost sounded sarcastic, despite not clearly knowing what sarcasm was.

Kiyoteru left, needing to attend to other matters in the house, such as dinner. Rin and the boy were left alone.

"It's okay. I'm Len Kagamine, by the way," the boy said, looking down at his scraped knee. He didn't really know why Rin had pushed him. Perhaps it was a custom at the care home. The place gave him a funny feeling in his stomach. There were long corridors, and it was always strange knowing that you were going to live in a new place.

"Kagamine. That's my last name, too." Rin said the words as if they were an accusation. She paused, looking angry for a moment, before smiling slyly. "This means we can be related, yes? Always nice to have family. Why are you here anyway?"

Len's tongue felt useless in his mouth. "My parents. They…a fire at my house when I was smaller. Some weird stuff happened at my last home, so now I'm here."

Rin didn't feel bad about it personally. There was nothing she could do, so why was she supposed to be upset? She did however recognise that Len was a very unlucky boy.

She led him upstairs and was showing him down a corridor when a girl called Miku passed them. She eyed both Rin and Len. She was two years older than Rin, and a little bit frightened of her.

"You two could be twins," Miku whispered to herself, looking at Len.

Rin ignored the other girl and continued to lead Len down the corridor, until they reached a room right at the very end. It was a spare room. One corner of the room was piled high with dusty, half opened, brown boxes. On the other side was a window, that let in some cold air.

But what really made Len shiver was the mirror that was in the centre of the room. There was already a large crack in the bottom left hand side of the mirror, and the mirror's face was decorated with dust and scratches. In the mirror, he could see him and Rin. They did look similar. They were the same height. They both had blonde hair, and blue eyes. Maybe they really could be a family, just by themselves.

"To become family, we've got to have the same blood, right?" Rin began. She rummaged through the boxes, finding an old rusty hammer.

Len's eyes widened as he saw the hammer. You weren't supposed to touch things like that. That was against the rules. "What are you doing?"

Rin looked over her shoulder. "This." The hammer was much too heavy for her. She grasped it in two hands, and standing close to the mirror, swung it.

There was a loud crash as shards and shards of glass showered over Rin. She help up her arm in defence before grinning at her handiwork. When all the glass had reached the floor, she kneeled down despite the glass to find a sharp enough piece.

"That's bad luck," Len murmured. He'd had enough bad luck in his life already. The fact that Rin could be making herself unlucky made him feel uneasy.

"Doesn't matter. I'm getting adopted tomorrow." She stood up, holding a small piece of sharp glass. She had cuts on her knees, but she didn't care. "Give me your hand."

The boy stared, but did not question. He held out his palm, and watched obediently as Rin cut a slice in his hand. He bit his lip, glancing down at the red smear on his skin. Pressing his hand against his mouth, Rin did the same to her own hand.

"Don't suck the blood!" Rin hissed, grabbing Len's wrist. "We need that."

Once again, Len didn't question her. The girl pushed their hands together, smearing good blood with bad.

"See? We must be family. We've got the same blood," Rin told Len, deciding that her logic must be correct. Len wasn't sure if blood worked like that, but he had some sort of sister now, at least.

"But you're moving tomorrow."

"Family doesn't stop because of distance, moron," Rin snarled. She wasn't quite sure if she liked Len or not. He was so good and innocent.

It didn't matter though. She wasn't going to see him again.

"What's going on up there?" Kiyoteru's voice could be heard from the bottom of the stairs.

"Len broke a mirror!" Rin shouted back. Rin would later get a secret smack for that little lie. She had caused enough trouble for Len in one day, according to Kiyoteru.

She glanced at Len, smirking. His eyes were wide. He'd never met someone like Rin before.

"Why did you lie?"

The blonde haired girl shrugged on shoulder. "I _felt_ like it."

Despite them being only seven years of age, Rin Kagamine and Len Kagamine could already tell the difference between themselves. Rin was bad, and Len was good.

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><p><strong>AN: <strong>A break from writing romance. Please review!:)


	2. Soft Blue Eyes

**Chapter Two.**

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><p>Rin had finally decided to walk home after a long wait for her adoptive father, Kaito Shion. She had lived with him for around seven years, and he usually picked her up from school. Honestly though, his memory was a little problematic, and really, Rin had never been sure if Kaito was fully 'with it' all the time.<p>

But she loved him.

He was an easy-going person with a mischievous streak running through him. Rin had actually tried to be good for Kaito, but it hadn't lasted long. He would shake his head at her, asking why he had to go and visit the Headmaster again when he hated the visits so much. However, these trips were becoming regular.

Another thing that Rin liked about her adoptive father was that he was an artist. He did the make-up effects for films, and he often sketched out his designs. His drawings were amazing. Sometimes he would let Rin watch him draw, and he always asked what she thought about his ideas. On occasion, he would add a story along with the picture. He should have become a film director. He would have been perfect.

Rin wondered what had made Kaito forget to pick her up. He never had, or at least he told her he couldn't come. He was probably working on something truly fantastic back at home.

The thought caused Rin to rush home. She took long strides. 'He stayed up late last night, too,' Rin thought to herself. 'He must have come up with something, and forgotten to pick me up!'

Her logic certainly made sense. When she reached the place she called home, she struggled with her key for a second before opening the door. It creaked slightly, and Rin was struck by how quiet the house was.

There was always noise at home. The sound of the radio, or a pencil scratching along paper. Kaito, murmuring to himself, like he always did.

"Kaito?" Rin had never called him her father. Years ago, when they were walking to Kaito's house, they had both agreed that would be awkward and false. "Where were you when I needed picking up?"

She grinned, bounding up the stairs. She poked her head in his room, but it was like it always was. Dust in the corner, and clutter on the bedside tables. Sketch pads, cotton wool pads, eyeliner, brushes, pencils. A messy bed and a pillow on the floor.

Rin looked in the bathroom; her bedroom; the living room; the kitchen. No luck. There was only one place left to look, and it was the most obvious place of all.

The basement.

Kaito liked to draw in the basement. It was quiet, and for some reason, it seemed to be his favourite place in the house. It should've been his bedroom really, as it was just as cluttered and occasionally, he slept there.

He had one long desk, made out of wood. Upon the desk, was a lamp, along with pencils and paper. There were drawers along the back wall of the room, filled with stories and scrap.

At the age of seven, Rin had hated the basement. She knew that bad things happened in places like the basement. Dusty, dull places where monsters could be hiding. Things even worse than her.

"Nothing bad will ever happen to you in the basement," Kaito insisted, taking hold of her clammy, little hands and leading her down the stairs.

She followed him a little reluctantly, holding on tight. When she got down the stairs, it was completely black. Kaito quickly let go of her hand, and just as she was about to trample back up the stairs, the room was illuminated.

She had liked it ever since.

Rin trotted down the stairs, flicking the lamp on. However, there was nobody in the basement. Her face dropped.

"Where are you?" She asked nobody in particular, checking the desk to see if Kaito had left her any notes.

All she found was an unfinished drawing of a zombie, complete with ideas about how the picture would come alive on a real person.

Feeling defeated, Rin stepped up the stairs and slunk into the kitchen. She took a can of energy drink out of the fridge, heading to the living room. She called Kaito's phone three times, but there was no reply.

Surely, he just had to go see his boss or something, right?

_Right_?

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><p>When the doorbell rang at about eight o' clock, Rin nearly jumped out of her seat. She rushed to answer it, fumbling with the house key to unlock the door.<p>

"Where have you-" Before Rin could finish, she realised that the person at the door was not who she was expecting. Instead of Kaito, she was met by a serious looking policeman. His soft blue eyes betrayed his severe uniform.

"Rin Kagamine?"

She nodded.

"May I come in?" He looked at her. She noticed that his eyelashes were golden.

Once again, she found herself nodding, opening the door wide. Maybe the police had finally caught up with her?

In the living room, Rin offered the officer a seat, and a drink. He refused both, pacing the room. She sat down, watching him go backwards and forwards continuously.

"Your legal guardian is Kaito Shion, correct?"

"That's right." Fear clawed at Rin's stomach. She didn't understand what the police would want with Kaito.

"I've got some bad news for you," the man warned. His blue eyes looked even softer now; almost blurring round the edges. Or, that's what it looked like. "Today, at three o' two PM, Mr Shion's body was found at the bottom of a steep grass hill. I'm very sorry for your loss."

He glanced at Rin. She was staring at him, obviously lost in a world of her own. She felt like her world had dropped out of order. She had lost her family.

"What killed him?"

The police officer looked up quickly from the floor. "Pardon?" He hadn't expected her to ask so quickly.

"I said, what killed him?" The girl's voice was firm, despite her shaking.

"We aren't certain yet. Apart from small bruises and cuts, there is no physical damage." The police man's voice was more shaky than the girl's.

"Please do your best to find out for me," Rin murmured, still staring. Yet, she didn't seem to be staring at the police man, or anything in particular, for that matter.

The man nodded. "Was Mr Shion depressed? Would he have wanted to end his life?"

"No, Mr Shion was _not _depressed!" Rin snapped, fire in her eyes. How dare that man imply that he beloved Kaito had killed himself purposely!

"I'm sorry, I've just been given a list of questions to ask." He looked at her apologetically. "How about I leave the questions for later? I'll leave now." He gave her a weak smile, pushing the living room door open gently.

Rin sat quietly, before blinking. She rushed off her seat, seeing the policeman opening the front door. "Don't leave!" He turned, and looked at her with a bemused expression. "I'll help you with whatever you need!"

She could see the obvious pity in the man's eyes as he gently closed the door shut.

Somehow, the policeman's gentle, probing questions led both him and Rin to the basement. Rin tried to ignore the rushing thoughts in her head as she led the man down the basement stairs. They were looking for physical evidence, and she needed to concentrate.

Kaito would want her to find out what happened.

"Are you sure you want me down here?" The policeman asked. He had called his office to tell his fellow peers that he'd need more time at the Shion residence. Under the circumstances - a fourteen year old girl, a dead foster father - he was allowed as much time as he needed.

Nobody really wanted to be where he was anyway, with Rin in that basement.

She paused. "If you want to leave, go ahead." She stopped again, gulping. "And if you have family, please go home."

The police man sighed to himself. "Here," he said, thrusting a piece of paper at her. "If you ever need someone to talk to, or you need somebody on the police team, give me a ring."

With that, he left. A stranger had been so kind to Rin. However, she would never see or contact him again. He couldn't really help her.

By herself, Rin rummaged through the basement. If she couldn't find anything to help to piece together Kaito's death, maybe she could just find him, hidden in a piece of paper or a tub of foundation, or something.

She looked at picture after picture, wiping her eyes and sniffling. She couldn't stop the tears though. They were slow and steady, but they didn't stop her searching. She found little notes from Kaito to Kaito.

She also found a drawer full of his stories. They were all around ten to twenty pieces of paper long; tied together with string. It took her less than a second to decide that she was going to keep every single book.

Eventually, Rin grew tired. But she wasn't stopping. She sat at the desk, and folded one leg over another. As she did so, her leg hit the table, and something moved upwards.

There was one last drawer underneath the table. One that she had never realised was there. After all, she never usually sat at Kaito's desk, and when she watched him, she was enchanted by his drawings so much that she just focused on them completely.

Rin tried to open the drawer, but it was locked. She hadn't found a key either, and she had no patience left to try and find one.

She shook the drawer aggressively. "Open!" She commanded.

It didn't.

She kicked and hit and shook, but the drawer was stubborn. The blonde haired girl stamped up the stairs, and came back down with a knife. She forced the drawer open, and inside was a brown file. Rin bit her lip. It would probably just be more drawings. As much as she loved Kaito's drawings, they were not what she needed.

She opened the file with shaking hands, and the first thing she saw inside was a photograph. It was a little faded, and it was curled at the edges, but it made Rin burst into violent tears.

It was a picture of the day she got adopted. Kaito was on the left hand side, his arm wrapped around Rin. He was wearing his favourite blue scarf, and he was beaming. Rin was smiling too, and although she couldn't see it, she knew that underneath the border of the picture, her and Kaito were holding hands. It was the start of their family life.

What Rin didn't notice, was that in the background of the picture, where the care home was, a little boy with dandelion hair was staring straight at the camera, peeking from behind the right side of the building.

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><p><strong>AN: <strong>Because let's face it, somebody was going to die. But was he killed? Read and review please:D!


	3. Back Home

**Chapter Three.**

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><p>"I wonder if it's changed very much," Rin muttered to herself. She was stood outside the foster home, and it was not a pleasant feeling knowing that she'd be living there, possibly until she was eighteen. In one hand, she had a old suitcase, and on her back was her backpack.<p>

The girl began to walk up the stretch of grass towards the home, but she stopped halfway. She slung her backpack to the floor and sat down on the grass. Out of the backpack, Rin found a lighter she'd taken from home. She knew that she wouldn't be able to get one at the foster home. She began to play with it, watching the flame flicker and splutter.

For the first time since Kaito's death, she found the corners of her mouth turning up, ever so slightly.

However, the moment was destroyed when Rin felt a hand on her shoulder. Already, people were ruining her fun.

Rin turned her head to see that there a young man with brown hair bending beside her. She frowned.

"You're still working here? Jesus."

The man scowled. So, Rin Kagamine was still an annoying and possibly evil brat. "Yes, Rin," Kiyoteru sighed. "Stop playing with that lighter before you burn the whole house down. Have you never heard about the girl who played with fire?" He paused. "She got burnt!"

Rin only rolled her eyes, picking up the backpack and throwing the lighter inside. Without a word, she began to plod back to the house. She was silent, although the thoughts in her mind were like angry bees, buzzing and buzzing.

Kiyoteru showed Rin around the house, although it hadn't changed. He was trying his best to be nice, although he doubted he and Rin were ever going to get along.

Eventually, he showed her her new room. It was painted white. There was a bed against the right wall, and a dresser near the window. Rin collapsed on her bed, and Kiyoteru took the hint to back off.

She rolled over, and opened her suitcase. She unpacked for a while, feeling tired and numb. She didn't feel much really.

She opened her backpack again and took out the lighter, placing it lovingly on the bedside table. Kaito had bought it for her in exchange for the promise that she wouldn't smoke, she wouldn't set anything on fire, and she wouldn't harm herself. He had sit with her in the basement in the dark, watching the flame.

At the bottom of her backpack, she found the file with the picture inside it. She took the picture, looking at it with sad eyes before running downstairs and finding a drawing pin. The drawing pin secured the picture to the wall in her room, above her bed.

After she'd pinned the picture up, she began to take pieces of paper out of the bag. One caught her interest, as it had been ripped in half. It was printed email, and according to the bottom of the paper, it was from the foster home.

_'We are very surprised that you have changed your mind about the second adoption. Thankfully, no staff members or children were informed._

_Is there any reason why you have changed your mind so suddenly?'_

Rin's eyes swept over the paragraph various times. She began to wonder about it, lying down and watching it above her head.

After a while, Rin couldn't be sure how long she'd been looking through the file, Kiyoteru poked his head through the door.

"Dinner." He offered her up a smile, which she returned with a blank stare. He could feel himself starting to give up with the blonde haired girl. "You can meet everybody, too."

Rin put the papers back into the file neatly before stepping down the stairs. She didn't feel hungry. She entered the kitchen, and a table full of faces stared at her.

They barely caught her attention though. The smell of food had roused her appetite

Kiyoteru stood at the head of the table, smiling warmly. "Hello folks!"

There was little to no reply. People were either eating, or couldn't be bothered replying.

"As you can see, we've got a new member here today. Everybody, this is Rin. A few of you might remember her. I hope you can all get along well." He nodded enthusiastically, before making his way round the table.

"Rin, meet Neru."

Neru was a girl with golden eyes and thick blonde hair. She raised her eyebrows at Rin. "Shove off, Kiyoteru," she said, before getting back to the important matter of food.

"This is Miku." Kiyoteru had ignored Neru's comment and moved on to the next person. Maybe he was used to it.

Miku avoided Rin's eyes. She was fidgeting, although Rin remembered her vaguely.

"Len," Kiyoteru continued.

Rin definitely remembered him. Len made an effort to smile at her, and in response, she held up her right hand and tapped the centre with a knowing smile. He held up his left, letting out a short laugh. Neither of them had their scars anymore, and the mirror had been sent to the local tip.

"Meiko, our head staff member. Pretty sure you remember her, right Rin?"

Before Rin could reply -which she hadn't been planning on doing - Meiko was chattering away to her. Rin appreciated the gesture. At least one adult was trying to make her feel welcome.

A few more people were introduced, despite the fact that few caught Rin's attention. A little girl called Yuki. A part time staff member, Gakupo. A boy called Oliver, and two sisters called Miki and Iroha.

Dinner time went quickly, and afterwards, Rin spotted Neru watching television. She decided that Neru seemed like a cool person to be around. She would make an effort to talk to her. But not that night. She wanted to get used to everything, first.

And so, on the first night of her being at her new makeshift home, Rin sat on the front steps of the house with her lighter, watching the flame dance before her eyes. Rin switched the lighter off, hearing the sound of footsteps. Any sensible member of staff would surely confiscate her precious lighter?

The door opened behind her. Rin did not turn to see who it was. Instead, she stared straight ahead as the person sat beside her.

"Still a bad girl?"

Rin sighed in relief. Not a member of staff. Just a harmless goody-two shoes, more commonly known as Len.

"Are you still good?"

Len nodded, grinning. His face suddenly went serious. "I'm sorry you had to come back here."

Rin shrugged. "You've been here for seven years. That must have sucked."

Len also shrugged a should, following Rin's gaze into the night sky. "You know, not everybody here is horrible. You'll like Neru, and you already know Miku, right?"

"Miku looks like she's on the verge of a breakdown."

Len glanced at his companion. "Well, we've all got stories. And secrets."

Rin's eyes narrowed, and she turned away from the night sky to face Len. She knew he was right, but how could somebody like Len have secrets? What secrets could he have, anyway? She lit her lighter again. Len closed it hastily, frowning.

"What's your secret, then?" Rin asked, glaring down at her closed lighter. "What have you got to tell?" She sounded angry and accusing, but she hadn't really meant to. Len had let her cut his hand open, and he was actually trying to be nice to her. She felt a little guilty.

"Earn my trust, and perhaps I'll tell you," Len replied breezily. Behind them, the door creaked open.

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><p><strong>AN: <strong>Chapter Three!:D Hooray for more characters. Please read and review!:D


	4. Distrust

**Chapter Four.**

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><p>A bare foot nudged at Len's back. Cold air flooded through the door into the house.<p>

"We're all watching a film. We can't start with you." Miku looked down at Rin and Len sat on the steps. "You two." She corrected herself quickly. It wasn't just Len anymore. There was Rin _and _Len. Rin had come back home.

Len and Rin looked up at the girl with long teal hair. Len stood up and smiled at her. Rin stood up a little more reluctantly. Why did Miku always look so afraid?

"Sure. I hope we've got popcorn, or something," Len said, half to himself. He slid past Miku and made his way into the house. Two pairs of blue eyes locked, Miku and Rin, but the older girl looked away quickly, quickly following Len into the house.

Rin watched Miku go.

In the living room, everybody seemed to have their own place. There was a running order. Rin almost felt guilty for messing things up.

But then again, somebody had messed up her own life. Messing up the way people sat to watch a film seemed tiny compared. The younger kids - Yuki, Oliver and Iroha - had congregated around the girl called Miki, all of them covered in blankets. They looked like a family.

Rin pinched her skin for being so sentimental. She had no right to be optimistic or so stupid. She'd had her chance at a decent life and it had all gone wrong.

Neru sat at one end of the couch, and Rin decided that it would be in her best interests to sit next to her. She seemed welcome, in fact. Len took a place next to Rin, and Miku took the opposite end of the couch.

"What are we watching?" Somebody asked.

Neru rolled her eyes and shuffled off the couch. It seemed that her and Len had some kind of authority in the house. Rulers; leaders. Len, the liked one, the kind one; Neru, the strict one who had no interest in putting up with your nonsense.

The girl with the golden eyes threw some DVDs in the direction of her peers. There was murmur as people tried to decide what to put on.

"Let's let Rin pick. She's new here after all."

The said girl turned her head to look at Len. He could see the doubt in her eyes. Rin knew she wasn't exactly at the bottom of the chain in the house. By having instant connections with Neru and Len, in her own opinion, she was ranking decently high in the scheme of things.

However, that did not mean people trusted her, even with picking a film.

Rin slumped off the couch and prodded a random DVD with her forefinger. The DVD was put into the player, and soon enough, Neru and Rin were back on the couch.

The screen turned black, and the menu flashed. Without a second thought, Neru pressed play.

The film began in some kind of old mansion. Two men were having a conversation, drinking wine, even laughing occasionally. However, just like that, something - not someone - appeared behind one of the men. The mansion became dark, and there were flashes on the monster.

Just ten minutes into the film, there was a ridiculously bloody murder. Rin thought the film was boring. Others, however, did not.

"What the hell is this?" Miki demanded, trying to comfort a crying Yuki whilst also trying to switch the DVD off. Iroha had covered her eyes whilst Oliver bravely watched on, biting his lip hard. "Is this really appropriate?"

Miku was flicking through the DVD cases, trying to find one that looked remotely scary. They all looked like nice, normal, age appropriate DVDs though.

The screen flashed red, and the movie was stuck with the monster on screen. Finally, Oliver burst into salty tears. Miki quickly ejected the DVD, but the screen was still frozen. She carelessly threw the disc aside.

It must have been put in the wrong package.

"Looks like you've upset mother hen," Neru whispered to Rin. Rin would have laughed if there wasn't the possibility that she was going to be stuck with the same people for another four years. Stuck with people who held grudges on her.

Miki was pushing the off button on the television, but the screen wasn't switching off. Thankfully though, Len came to the rescue. He whispered something to Miki, and just like that, she was escorting three scared children out of the room. The blonde haired teen the reached behind the TV, pulling out a wire. Just like that, the screen went as dark as the night outside.

"Someone must have mixed up the DVDs again," Len reassured. "Just an accident."

Neru frowned. "But Kiyoteru will find out, and there goes our age inappropriate film night." She sighed, before smiling at Rin. "Every week, we alternate on film night. This week, it was evidently an all age film night. Next week, us older kids watch whatever we want. Horror, lots of bad words, gore, sexual scenes. Take your pick."

Len snorted. "We'd just have to watch them in your room Neru."

"Girls and boys in the same room?" Neru mocked horror. "That's obviously a set up for an orgy!" She and Len then began to laugh, and Rin couldn't help but smirk. It seemed that she had picked the right people to hang out with. She liked Len, and she definitely liked Neru. They made the numbness feel less….numb.

"That's not funny. They'll be having nightmares."

The trio was silenced. They had forgotten Miku was there. She left the room swiftly, and for that, Rin was glad. There was something about her. Something unnerving.

Len glanced at the two girls apologetically, going to find Miku.

"What's up with her?" Rin asked, staring at the empty doorway.

"Miku? No idea. I've been here four years, and when I first met her, she was okay. You know, just a nice girl. I even liked her."

Neru met Rin's eyes, and Rin nodded. She could remember Miku being 'okay' too. She had been nice enough. Not weird at all.

"And then one day, she just shut up in her room. I remember knocking at her door and asking her to come out. I gave up pretty quickly," Neru added hastily. It was as if she didn't want to be seen caring. "Then, she just got all twitchy. When a door slammed, she nearly hit the ceiling. _Every time_. The twitching got better and better, but she's still…not right. We don't really know why. Maybe Meiko does. Maybe she was just like that all along."

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><p>Rin spent the remainder of the night in her room. The film had started at nine o' clock, and lasted for about fifteen minutes. The girl flickered her lighter, staring into it deeply. From time to time, she'd even slice her hand through the fire for an added thrill.<p>

She then put on her pyjamas, but she knew she wouldn't be getting any sleep. Meiko came in at around half past ten. Without invitation, the woman sat on the edge of the bed, with Rin sat in the centre.

"Things must be tough at the moment, huh?"

It was a stupid question that was not worthy of a reply.

"I heard about the film, too," Meiko continued. "Weird. The kids will get over it though, and Miki has cooled off."

More comments that Rin didn't feel the need to reply to.

"Things will get easier."

"What do you know?" Rin snarled, staring intently into the flame. "What do you get for making me feel better? A promotion? An extra bit of money at the end of the month?"

If Rin had looked up, she would have seen that Meiko was calm. Sure, Rin Kagamine was angry at the world. So were half the kids she had worked with.

"I get the benefit of seeing a girl who's survived after a loss," Meiko replied softly. "Lights out at eleven." She wasn't going to press the matter. The brunette left the room, closing the door softly behind her.

* * *

><p>Rin must have fallen asleep at some point, because at exactly one o' two AM, she awoke underneath the covers of her bed. She looked at the picture of herself and Kaito on the wall. She expected the whole house to be quiet, but she could hear footsteps. Creaks and bumps in the night.<p>

Feeling curious, Rin slid out of bed. She was embraced by the cold, and the skin of her arms broke into goose pimples. She opened her door a little, still able to hear the footsteps.

Another door creaked open, and afterwards, she could hear someone gasp as they were awoke.

"Miku? What are you doing here? At this time?" A male voice. Len. Len and Miku at one o' four in the morning. Miku was getting weirder and weirder. Len only pitied the teal haired girl, and if she kept waking him up in the early hours, he was going to abandon her. Let her be taken by solitude.

"I need to talk to you," came the hushed reply. Rin crept out of her door a little, making sure she could hear everything.

"Couldn't it have waited?"

"No. It's urgent! You're in danger, Len."

There was a pause. "No I'm not. Miku, we're all perfectly fine here. Go back to bed."

"No!" The girl's voice was more desperate. "You're in so much danger, Len. Please, please listen." Memories flooded Miku's mind. That day, all those years ago, she had been watching Rin and Len. She had watched the blonde haired girl slit the boy's palm. They were so similar looking. After seven years, they still were.

"Go on then, Miku." Len's voice weighed with tiredness. "Chop chop though."

"It's Rin."

Rin's ears perked up What did Miku want to tell Len about her? How was she putting Len in danger? It wasn't like she was going to set him on fire or anything.

"What about her?"

"Don't you see it?" The words were laced with hatred. Yet, there was also an underlying fear, oozing out of the sentence. "She's your _doppelganger"._

A heavy sigh came from Len's room. "They don't exist!"

"Oh, but they do, Len! There are so many examples. Just search it. And don't you remember? Do you not remember Len? Did you not hear about what happened?"

"Miku," Len said gently. "Go back to bed."

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><p><strong>AN: <strong>Dun dun dun! Any thoughts on this chapter? Read and review please!:D


	5. Double Doppelgangers

**Chapter Five.**

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><p>Bleary eyed and tired, Rin did not particularly want to go downstairs for breakfast. Breakfast was at a set time everyday, and apparently you had to attend.<p>

"Rin? Meiko says you'd better come downstairs." A gentle shake accompanied the voice. Rin was forced to open her eyes properly.

"Can I come down in my pyjamas?"

"We're all in our pyjamas. I'll see you in a few minutes, right?"

The blonde haired girl nodded groggily, pulling back the bed cover swiftly. She sat straight for a moment, alone in her room, and it hit her.

That's why she was tired. Len and Miku had been talking in the morning. Why hadn't she remembered just then, when he had been talking to her?

Why hadn't she remembered that she was supposed to be Len's _doppelganger_? Whatever the hell that was. The word sounded familiar; as if it had been lingering on the tip of her tongue since she had been born. Yet, she had very little idea of what it actually meant.

The girl reluctantly shuffled down the stairs. In the kitchen, she was once again met by a table full of faces. Some less welcoming than others.

It seemed that Len and Neru had saved her a seat. She sat down, but nobody was talking.

"And that's why I don't like the colour grey," Yuki said suddenly, finishing whatever story she had started before Rin had come to the table.

"Nice that you've planned to show your face today, Rin," Neru commented, smiling cheekily as she bit into a piece of toast. Rin helped herself to a bowl of cereal and an orange.

"I've only been here on day," Rin reasoned. "I had nothing to do with that boring film." She smirked back at Neru, to show that she wasn't defensive about the matter. If Neru liked to push people's buttons, then Rin was happy to join in. Maybe it wasn't smart, but as long as it was all just harmless fun and she had friends in the house, everything was cool.

Rin doubted that Miki would befriend her anyway. She'd obviously be a bad influence on the older girl's flock of small children.

"And are we all having a nice morning?" Len asked, tactfully changing the conversation topic before somebody got irritated. He looked ridiculously innocent, sitting in a row with Rin and Neru.

There was a general murmured response. When Len asked a question, people answered. That was just the type of person he was. Conversation perked up a little, and Rin actually began to learn a little more about the younger children. It gave her a slight thrill. It was like she was breaking the rules, taking a small interest in the younger kids. She wasn't supposed to like them. She was_ such_ a bad influence.

Yuki, the little girl with the brown hair, liked to tell childish stories. She had a slight lisp, and seemed to get on with Miki and Iroha as if they were her own sisters.

Iroha had a love of Hello Kitty that was bordering upon obsession. The pink haired girl also adored cats. It was her main topic of conversation, really.

The blonde haired boy called Oliver seemed shy. He said witty little comments in such a demure way that the only people who seemed to realise their hilarity were Miki, Iroha and Yuki. He got on well with Len, which wasn't a surprise really, seeing as they were the only two boys in the house who weren't staff members.

When breakfast was over, people began to go their own way. Miki and her tribe of children coloured and drew in the kitchen. Miku fled to the safety of her bedroom. Len and Neru played cards, and Rin was invited to join them.

However, she had business to attend to.

She logged onto the family computer. It was situated in the living room, and the older children all had their own accounts, along with Meiko, Kiyoteru and the part time worker Gakupo. Rin called Len over, and he set up an account for her.

"You'll need a picture to put as your user profile," he reminded her, before saying something about how Neru was probably cheating due to his absence.

'_Define: Doppelganger_,' Rin typed quickly. It had been weighing on her mind. What was a doppelganger and why would she be one?

There didn't seem to be a dictionary definition, so Rin looked at the web definition instead.

_Doppelganger: a ghostly double of a living person that haunts its living counterpart._

'Well,' the girl thought to herself. 'That's pushing it a bit far. I may look like Len, but I'm not his dead female form!'

However, Rin was not satisfied with the internet definition. She clicked on another link. It seemed to be some kind of horror film forum. She clicked through the first few pages, no comments really catching her eye.

Yet, the first post on the fourth page did. There was a link, and an urgent sounding comment beneath.

'_Click the link! Doppelgangers?'_

Rin clicked the link, and watched as a newspaper article appeared before her eyes. There was a picture of a forest looking type place, a river running through the trees. Beside that picture, was another picture showing a strikingly similar man and woman pair.

_Locals Found Dead In River! Police Investigation Underway. _

_Local residents, Luka and Luki Megurine (not related) were found dead in a river last night. The pair were found with their hands around each other's necks, and a police investigation is now underway to investigate possible explanations. According to a good friend of the Megurine's, who does want to be named, Luka and Luki were, 'practically inseparable. They were the closest pair of friends I had ever seen, and I do understand how this has happened. I truly hope that the police find an explanation."_

_The pair were discovered by a young girl, who can also not be named for protection purposes. She refused to comment about finding the Megurine's._

_If anyone has any information about the incident, please contact the police._

_By Toshi Sato. January 30__th__, 2008._

Rin once again looked at the picture of the dead Megurine's. It was strange that they also shared the same last name. Strange they had the same shade of pink hair, the same nose, the same curved lips. The same bold blue eyes, the same pale skin.

Rin was beginning to feel a little uneasy. She clicked back on the original forum and scrolled down the comments.

'_Scary! Think I'll be doing more research on this one.'_

'_Definitely Doppelgangers. This has scared me into paranoia. Constantly on the look out for any look- a-likes, haha!'_

'_They looked so happy on the picture as well. Who do you think killed who?'_

So doppelgangers killed each other? No wonder Miku always seemed so scared. Miku assumed that Rin was going to take away her only friend.

Strangely enough, Rin felt less horrified than she thought she should have done. Rin distracted herself by reading a long comment.

* * *

><p>'<em>I live in the area, and decided to investigate the forest. It's a short walk from here, and people go there for days out and things. Despite what the newspaper said, the police weren't there at all.<em>

_I don't think they're investigating about the Megurine's one bit._

_There are still footprints in the sandy parts at the side of the river. They strangled each other? Interesting, seeing as drowning or shooting the other would've been much less risky._

_But, the main question is, who is the doppelganger? Luki, or Luka? Put your guesses in, everybody. _

_While I was in the forest, strangely enough, I found a four shoes. Two pairs of boots, which could've suited either gender. Inside one boot, was a piece of paper that was ripped in half. The writing was legible, if a little stained. Obviously, I could only read whatever was on the paper, so I only got half a story._

'_- all along. I have not always believed in doppelgangers, but now I'm pretty certain. I'm going to be- Maybe if I run away now- Are doppelgangers even avoidable? I really put my trust in- just want to kill me. -Tell someone? No. They'd think I was crazy.'_

_That's all I could get from the note, unfortunately. Why it was in a boot? Maybe Luka or Luki wanted someone to find it. Why weren't the boots with the police?_

_As I said, they aren't looking. Maybe the police know all about doppelgangers._

_And anyway, what's the point in trying to investigate the matter? Unless that little girl saw what happened, and decides to reveal, we'll probably never know.'_

* * *

><p>Rin read the comment three times over before looking back at the picture of Luka and Luki. Who was the killer?<p>

Her thoughts turned to herself and Len. Out of her and Len, who was more likely to kill who?

She had to avoid him at all costs.

"What you reading?"It was Neru behind her, poking her head over Rin's shoulder, smiling widely. Rin quickly shut the tab down.

For all Rin's investigating, she had missed one of the most important parts. 'The local area' was Rin's very own home town.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> Sorry this took me a little longer to update, but I actually love writing this story. As I said in the other story I'm writing at the moment, December's so busy! I hope you enjoyed, and if you have any comments, please review! Or just review anyway:'D


	6. The Devil's Hour

**Chapter Six.**

* * *

><p>"When someone shuts down an internet tab that quickly, they are obviously feeling guilty or embarrassed about what they have just viewed," Neru commented, smirking at Rin tauntingly.<p>

"What? I was finished anyway," said Rin, logging off her account and standing up. "There's no need to be so suspicious. Did you win at cards?"

"Changing the subject!" Neru declared. However, she was more than happy to go into detail about how poorly Len played cards. "That's the problem with all these innocent people," she said. "They don't know how to play cards; unlike sinner like you and I."

Despite the fact that Rin had no idea how to play cards, she nodded. She assumed that Neru had meant that good people like Len did not know how to cheat, or could not spot shifty goings on very well. "Do you mean you cheated?"

"No. It's just something I've noticed. Good people do not know how to play cards. They're much better at _Scrabble_. Sinners are better at _Cluedo_; good people are better at _Monopoly_, seeing as we bad people always end up in jail!"

Neru's logic made no sense at all, but the conversation was amusing. "We're not really sinners, Neru. There are worse people than us," Rin said, although there seemed to be a little doubt in her voice.

Doppelgangers killed people.

The older girl grinned. Part of Neru's tongue poked through her smile. "You mean to say we're good people?" She laughed to herself. She didn't really believe her or Rin were sinners. She was just teasing.

The question was met with a shrug. The two girls continued to chatter, skimming all sorts of subjects. They were eventually joined by Len, who argued that his card playing was not that bad.

Neither of the girls mentioned their previous conversation about good people and bad people about how they played games. It was like some sort of inside joke, saved for those who didn't seem to be too innocent. Rin had her lighter and palm slitting past, along with her general 'bad attitude'. Neru had her cheekiness, her teasing and the way she seemed to deny caring.

And then there was Len. Calm and kind, in control, Len. The boy she was supposed to be avoiding. Her _friend_.

The three went through the day as normal. There wasn't much to do. Boredom and laughter, silence and chatter. Rin tried not to speak too much. She watched him with focused eyes, but deep down, she felt that there was no point. It was obvious who was supposed to kill who. Fate, even.

After most of the day had passed, the trio attended dinner, and went their separate ways. Neru had homework; Len's attention had been stolen by Oliver, which in some way, was a relief.

Rin, with nothing else to do, went to her room. The girl flopped on her bed. She wanted to stop thinking. She want to sleep for hours and hours; maybe even weeks, if she could manage it.

However, she wasn't tired. It seemed that she had to stick with reality for a little while.

'I might as well do something,' Rin thought to herself miserably. 'Why do doppelgangers even exist? There's not point in them!' She found herself cleaning up her room, yet, to her surprise she couldn't find Kaito's folder.

"Hm? Where are you folder?" Rin said to herself. She searched under the bed first. She searched all around her room, yet there was no sign of the precious folder. It had interested her greatly.

Kaito had wanted to adopt somebody else. But he hadn't. Kaito wasn't usually the type of person who backed out on his promise. There was something strange about his decision, and it was making Rin feel uneasy. The thought that perhaps Kaito hadn't shared everything with her, and now she had no time to ask him.

A knock at the door interrupted Rin's thought process. She cursed quietly, before answering the knock with a curt, 'Feel free to come in.'

"Are you alright, Rin? You seemed a little annoyed before," Len said, stepping into Rin's room. She clenched her fist lightly. Why is it that when she tried to avoid somebody, they plagued her?

"I'm fine. Anything else?" She was being rude, but she had to be. Somehow, someway, she could possibly end up killing the boy stood in front of her. He looked at her with a confused expression, yet there seemed to be some kind of unease washing down his body. It started at his eyebrow, which knitted together. He began to bite his lip; fiddle with his fingers. Rin was quite sure that the uneasy feeling had even spread to his toes, which she assumed were curled into the bottom of his socks.

"Rin?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you hear something that you maybe shouldn't have heard last night?" He connected his eyes with hers briefly, before quickly looking away.

Rin paused. She was a liar. And a damn good one. "…I did."

He knew that she knew anyway. There was no point denying it.

"Do you know what doppelganger is?" He asked. He looked slightly relieved, slightly embarrassed and slightly guilty.

"A little," Rin replied.

"You know that they're not real then, don't you?" Len smiled at her.

Why had she believed in doppelgangers so quickly? Because they fitted her situation. She had never truly been disgusted at people killing other people. Even as a child, she had never been ashamed to think: some people definitely deserved what they got.

Was she a killer herself? She wouldn't have been surprised.

"Of course," she replied, allowing herself to smile innocently. "I also know that Miku's nuts." Her expression faltered for a second as she mentioned Miku. Miku was like a dark night covering a beautiful sunset. She had opened up the idea of doppelgangers, and Rin hated her for that.

Len shrugged one shoulder awkwardly. "Maybe she'll get better-" So he admitted something was wrong with her? "Or maybe once she's settled somewhere, she can get help."

"She doesn't get help already?" Rin had thought that maybe the staff did some work with Miku. Therapy sessions of something.

"There's not a name for what's wrong with her. She's not depressed; she's not shaky enough to be classed as someone with an anxiety problem, apparently. I doubt the staff could afford it anyway."

'Not shaky enough to have an anxiety problem?' Rin thought to herself, not sure whether she found the situation funny or pure pitiful.

"Either way," Len continued. "I'm sorry if what you heard creeped you out. She's not usually that bad, you know, she's never come to my room in the middle of the night telling me that I'm in grave danger." He caught Rin's eye and smiled. "I assume that'll never happen again."

* * *

><p>Rin went to bed that night feeling a little better. Len didn't believe in doppelgangers? Then why should she? However, it seemed that her subconscious disagreed. Her dreams were haunted by Luki and Luka Megurine. They were shouting at each other in the forest; screaming in fact. Their faces were red with anger, and then tendons in their pale necks seemed to pulse. Rin was an invisible onlooker.<p>

Luka shoved Luki. Luki screamed at her, something about trust. Whatever he screamed sparked something, because suddenly, Luka was crying. She walked closer to him; a huge mistake. Luki clawed at his doppelgangers hair, shoving her head downwards. She screamed at him, and this time, Rin could hear them loud and clear.

She was pleading him to stop hurting her.

Her pleads were short lived. She began to fight back, using her arms to claw at the man's skin. Her nails scratched at the flesh underneath Luki's shirt, and for a moment, he just stared at the long red-pink marks. They were just a shade darker than his very own hair.

Luki paused. "Get up," he said, in a soft, hushed voice. "I'm sorry."

Luka's eyes were wide as she stood straight. She looked into her friend's eyes, saying something to him. Her eyes were still haunted with fear, but there was some kind of hope there, too. He touched her hand, looking at her with a gentle face.

He led her towards the river. "It's so pretty," he whispered, facing Luka. She nodded in response. It seemed that their intense fight had been forgotten. Maybe they happened all the time. "You're my best friend, Luka."

"The same to you," she replied. The corners of her mouth uplifted slightly.

That was until he wrapped his hands around her throat. "Just kidding," he hissed, tightening his grasp. Luka chocked and spluttered, summoning the strength to do the same. Her hands were shaking, but she was willing to strangle him if he was doing the same to her.

They struggled in each other's holds, before finally slumping into the shallow river. The water had not even reached up to their knees, but now, they were immersed in it, wholly dead.

Rin woke up, hot all over. She had kicked the bed covers away from her body during her nightmare. She saw on her alarm clock that it was nearly three in the morning. Her mind was hazy from sleep.

Until she was the shadow by her door. She blinked and continued to stare, making sure she wasn't making it up. Somebody was in her room. Somebody had been watching her sleep.

She was about to address the shadow, when it creeped towards her. She watched as the figure as it stood by her bedside. For some reason, she was sickly fascinated. Not enchanted enough to be stupid, though. As soon as she began to slide slowly to the end of the bed, the shadow seemed to leap upon her.

"You're going nowhere!" Miku. She had pinned Rin down, glaring down at her with intense eyes. "You know what they say about three AM?" The girl whispered violently. "They say that that's the devil's house. Good for people like you, I bet, you cold blooded killer. I know all about you. Yeah. All about you and your sick little games. Planning to kill him? Think again. I've got the upper hand here."

The teal haired girl paused, watching Rin's face become discreetly frightened. Miku began to smile widely. "I'm gonna bury you in the back garden."

Rin's hand crept towards her bedside table. The blonde haired girl remained silently, letting the other speak.

"I know all about doppelgangers, you see?" Miku's voice was a hushed rollercoaster; the pitch was ever-changing, up and down. "Hahah, yeah. I think they were doppelgangers, anyway. But I can spot 'em from a mile off. Just like I spotted you."

"I didn't know about doppelgangers when I was little. I always knew you were naughty, but not real bad. Not real bad, like all those people locked up in prisons. But then I found my first ever pair. I'll never forget that." Miku was shaking considerably, never taking her eyes off Rin's face. "In the water! That's where they were. What were they doing there? Killing each other. They almost looked beautiful. Handsome. But one of them was real bad; just like you. That's why I can't let you get away. You'll hurt Len. And anyway, I don't like doppelgangers."

Miku moved her hands to Rin's throat, just as Rin grasped the lighter from her beside table. She lit it under Miku's chin, daringly close.

"I'm not going to let you kill me," Rin hissed. "You stay away from my room, or I'll set you alight, right this second." She wasn't lying. She honestly felt like she could kill Miku, there was so much anger surging through her.

Her brain, however, was processing all the consequences of a murder. Nothing sentimental. She wasn't thinking of how disappointed Kaito would be, or how she would lose her only friends. She was thinking about how hard it'd be to get away with killing somebody who lived with her.

Miku recoiled away from the flame, eyeing Rin. The blonde haired girl pushed herself up into a standing position, towering over Miku. She pointed the flame above Miku's hair.

"Just a little downwards, and your hair will just be fire. And that'll spread," Rin warned. "That'll spread to your skin, which will blacken in seconds. It'll get to your flesh, and you'll be barbecued. The flame will reach your bones, and they'll smoulder. And you know what? I'll stand right here and laugh."

Miku didn't need a second warning. She slunk away, practically falling off Rin's bed and walking backwards towards the door. Rin waved the lighter tauntingly as a goodbye.

She had won that round. Her heart was pounding.

After Miku had left the room, Rin closed the door shut. She didn't feel very safe at all. She wished she was in Kaito's basement. With all her shaky strength, Rin pushed her bedside table until it was against the door. It didn't feel good enough.

She sat in bed, the covers wrapped around her and stared at the door. The adrenaline that had come with Miku's attack was beginning to fade.

It didn't stop her though. She stayed up all night, staring at the door.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>Well, something crazy had to happen. It's been a little while since I've written a scene like that, so I'm sorry if I'm a little rusty! Please read and review!:D I hope you enjoyed. :-)


	7. Missing Girl, Added Canvas

**Chapter Seven.**

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><p>Rin woke up the next morning trapped in a duvet cocoon. An alarm was ringing loudly, and for a moment, Rin felt like everything was absolutely normal. Though, it wasn't. How could it be? She had to live with someone who wanted to murder her.<p>

Still in her pyjamas, the blonde haired girl plodded downstairs for breakfast. Oblivious to everyone and everything around her, she sat down and poured cornflakes in a bowl. She hadn't noticed the commotion.

In the corner of the room, Yuki was clinging on to Miki, whispering soft words to her. Miki looked quite pale herself. Iroha and Oliver were also with Miki, looking worried. Only Neru was sat at the table.

"What's wrong with them?" Rin asked testily. She'd been attacked in her sleep, but you didn't see her breaking down over breakfast. "And where's Len? No staff this morning, either, I guess?"

Neru raised an eyebrow. "Nobody's told you?"

"I just woke up!"

"Miku's disappeared," Neru said quietly, turning her attention to the floor. "Meiko and Kiyoteru are searching for her, and Len went with them. I thought he was going to throw up when nobody could find her."

Rin's chest tightened as she took in the information. A crazy girl, out to kill her, was missing? She had certainly missed a lot that morning. "But…Where would she go? Why would she leave?"

She knew full well why Miku might've wanted to keep her whereabouts unknown.

"If we knew that, we'd be on our way to get her, wouldn't we?" Miki snapped. She still seemed to dislike Rin, and it certainly wasn't helping anybody feel better.

"Piss off, Miki," Rin growled, shoving some cornflakes into her mouth before she could say anymore obscenities. Oliver and Iroha glanced at each other. Rin had just said a _very_ bad word.

"We're going to go…play," Iroha said quietly, taking Oliver's hand and leading him away. Yuki also detached herself from Miki, following the two children swiftly.

"Miki, sit down," Neru instructed. "We're all shocked." The golden eyed girl was actually trying to be nice. And responsible.

Miki sat down reluctantly, resting her head on the table.

"I don't see why you're so worried," Rin said. She almost felt sorry for the cherry headed girl, despite her unsympathetic nature. "You'd think people would run away from here all the time, yeah? They'll find her and give her some help, or something."

No reply. Neru set a cup of tea in front of Miki, tapping on the girl's head. "Lighten up," she instructed, taking her own seat at the table.

Miki raised her head with an annoyed expression. As she was about to speak, the three girls listened to a door open and then slam shut. They could also hear some conversation, but most of it was hushed.

"We've done all we can at the moment. We've checked so many places, and tomorrow we can file a missing person report. We'll find her. She might even come back herself!"

"It's so unlike her though." Kiyoteru's comment sounded flatter than a deflated balloon.

Len entered the kitchen, and without a word, he made himself a cup of tea. Rin watched him carefully. So, if Miku was trying to kill her, and she herself was destined to kill Len, then wasn't Miku actually trying to do a good thing? She shook the thoughts away from her head, frowning.

The blonde haired boy took a seat next to Rin, sipping his drink with a pale face and blank looking eyes.

"Are you okay?" Neru asked softly. Rin watched her doppelganger with interest. He looked like a living corpse. Why had Miku's disappearance affected him so much?

"Is _she _okay?" Len countered, meeting Neru's firm gaze. She looked away, scowling.

"She's caused us a lot of trouble. What does she think she's playing at? If she comes back and this is all a big mistake, I'll bloody slap her," Neru ranted, standing up from her seat. "Are you sure she hasn't just gone into town? Are we all worrying over nothing?" She left the room without a reply. She didn't want or need one.

Len didn't even watch her go. He just sat there, sipping his tea.

Nobody spoke for a while. It felt like hours. Miki dumped her tea in the sink and left, leaving Rin alone with Len. Though it felt like she was alone with her thoughts. Her life had suddenly become about killing and killers and doppelgangers.

"Why do you think she left?"

"You know what's she like, Len."

"She's in danger, by herself. _You _know what she's like _too._ She was losing her mind. Unless you really are my doppelganger who wants to kill me in my sleep!" The last sentence was dripping with sarcasm, but for Rin, it hit a little too close to home. Killing people in their sleep. Just that phrase brought back snapshots of the previous night. "I'm so worried."

"She'll come back," Rin reassured Len, gently taking the cup of tea away from his shaking hands. "Or she'll be found."

"The police aren't going to put her in the priority pile, you know. Not if they're busy. A girl with no parents, and no diagnosed problems?"

"Right then," Rin frowned. "Let's go. Come on. We're going to try and find her, right? Will that make you feel better?" Her tone was harsh, but only because she was slightly scared. What if they did find Miku? What did that mean for her? But what if they didn't find Miku? What did that mean for Len?

The pair informed Meiko that they were going to town. She gave them a strange look, but didn't have the heart to say no. Not with everything going on. She did however warn them to be back 'early'.

"Where are we going?" Len asked, as soon as they were out of the door.

"You tell me. Where did she like to go?"

The boy paused. "She liked…She liked places that were quiet. She also liked places that were cramped. She preferred the dark."

"Great, let's go find the nearest ditch then!" Rin scowled.

"That's not funny!" Len turned to face her. "For all we known, she might be dead in a ditch, so shut up!" He walked off, but she followed.

"Calm down!" She grabbed his arm. "What else did she like?"

He frowned at her, but felt a little bad. Rin's foster father had been killed. And she had a wicked sense of humour anyway. "Just don't say things like that again. But I don't know where she'd be."

"Well she wouldn't be out anywhere publicly, would she?"

"No."

"And she wouldn't be-"

"She liked the abandoned house."

* * *

><p>"Who the hell would like it here?" Rin demanded, staring up at the 'abandoned house'. According to Len, the place hadn't been used for the past fifty years, apparently. The windows were boarded up, and there was a battered 'for sale' sign in at the front.<p>

"We went up here once. Neru, Miku, Miki and I. A couple of years ago on Halloween."

"All of you? Miki and Miku? Jesus!" Rin couldn't believe it. They were both still staring up at the house. Neither of them had moved towards it.

"Uh-huh," Len nodded, stepping down the path towards the front door. It was a big place, and it had taken them a while to get to it. It seemed to be right at the outskirts of town. "It used to be owned by an artist, I think. He got killed in his own home, and whoever killed him used to blood as paint, apparently. We came here on Halloween for an adventure, while the younger kids stayed at home."

He shoved at the door, but just like the last time he had visited, it stayed shut stubbornly. He lead Rin round the back, and showed her a broken window. He climbed through cautiously, and she did the same. Unfortunately, she managed to cut her skin on a vicious piece of glass. The blood trickled down her legs, and as she walked, a little trail of droplets was left behind her.

"So, if she were here, where would she be?" Rin asked, using her hand to clear some of the running blood off her leg.

"No idea. We'll just check all the rooms," Len said. Rin thought she heard a small rustle, but ignored it.

There was a dusty bedroom, but there was nobody there apart from a mouse or two. In fact, most of the rooms were dusty and inhabited by mice.

Going down into the house's basement was slightly painful for Rin. The basement had been a nice place for her and Kaito, and now she was going down into a basement to search for an insane girl. Len flicked on the lights.

At first of all, neither of the pair noticed anything wrong with the room. It was dusty. They met a mouse. Been there, done that. It as quite a spacious basement.

"Maybe we might find a hair of hers," Len said, mostly to himself. He seemed to think that if Miku wasn't in the house, then she must've been there. No two ways about it.

Rin found herself looking at some white canvases. They were all facing the wall, one after another. She went to the first canvas and turned it around, wondering whether the artists had painted anything nice during his lifetime.

It was blank.

She turned over the next one and found a small fleck of brown.

The next one; a puddle of brown-red mess in the centre of the canvas, along with a signature of the bottom which was the same colour.

She glanced at Len, but he was looking at something else. She turned over the next canvas. It said, 'Get'.

'Out' was painted on the next canvas.

Then came 'Now'.

'Or Die'. The last canvas also included a sinister little smiley face. Painted brown-red, of course.

"Why did Miku like it here again?" Rin asked, staring at the canvases. A girl who attempted murder like a place where somebody had been killed.

Len turned. His eyes settled on the canvases. "There were only five canvases last time." He shuddered visibly. "What if she's hurt herself? Suicide!"

"But we've checked all the rooms," Rin protested coldly. "Can we please just leave?"

Len looked at her doubtfully. "But, what if-"

"I'm leaving and that's it. Stay here and review the art, if you'd like." Rin trampled up the stairs, feeling quite scared. There were rustles and creaks sounding in her ears, but she didn't know whether they were fake or not.

Rin and Len did not get home 'early'. But at least they got home together. More importantly, they came home at all.

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><p><strong>AN: <strong>Sorry, perhaps a bit filler-ish! Happy New Year everyone, by the way! Reviews are greeted with love :'-)


	8. If You Go Down To The Woods

**Chapter 8.**

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><p>Both Rin and Len were given a long talking to when they came home so late. Kiyoteru droned on about 'not going astray' and glared at Rin a little too much for her liking. She quickly lost her temper. She always got blamed for everything. Sure, she did half the stuff she got blamed for, but not everything was her fault. She didn't even want to be with stupid Kiyoteru anyway.<p>

"Excuse me, but we don't know if she's dead or alive!" She then paused. "And to be frank, you act like you don't care. Me neither," Rin grumbled, storming up the stairs. When she finally got to her room, a horrible sinking feeling fell upon her. She had said that she didn't care whether Miku was dead or not. She mentally kicked herself. Repeatedly.

She was left alone for a while, with only her lighter to keep her company. She had half expected Len to visit her, but she assumed she had upset him. It truly sucked to be her.

Eventually, however, Neru came to her room. She didn't knock, or ask if she could enter. She just barged through the door, closed it, and plunged next to Rin on the bed. She swiped her hand through Rin's lighter impulsively, leaving Rin to stare at her quizzically.

"What?"

"Why have you just done that?"

"I wanted to know whether it hurt," Neru replied matter-of-factly. "I wanted to know whether you put your hand in the flame to punish yourself. I wanted to know if it gave any kind of relief."

"You're worried?" Rin flicked the lighter on and off. "It only hurts if you keep your hand in the flame. The closer to the base of the lighter, the more intense the heat is."

Neru nodded reluctantly. "Of course I am. I acted like a diva this morning, and I feel guilty. If she's dead somewhere, then I've treated her like shit for too long a while." Neru took the lighter from Rin's hand, and began to flick it on and off for herself. After a moment, she put her hand in experimentally.

"We're all in shock," the younger girl reasoned. She took the flame away from Neru gently, before she really did start to hurt herself. "I'm feeling pretty awful myself." She paused for a second, meeting Neru's eye line. They both looked so solemn. "How's Len?"

"I dunno. He seems vacant. Like a zombie or something."

Rin shifted uncomfortably. "My bad. Do you think I should talk to him?"

"If you think that's best. He probably knows you didn't mean it…You _were_ the one who went to try and find Miku with him after all. Usually when he's gotten upset before, he just dies for a while. Nobody sees him. Then he comes out just like he was before. Happy and cheerful and everything," Neru explained. She paused for a second, biting the inside of her lip.

"Weird…" Rin mumbled. "I'm going to go talk to him. In fact, I haven't eaten anything either. I'll tell you if he's a zombie afterwards."

Neru smiled at her friend. "Sure," she mumbled, wondering whether she was supposed to sit in Rin's room and wait. Her golden eyes noticed that Rin took the lighter with her.

Rin knocked on Len's door politely. "Len? Come have dinner with me," she said, knocking on the door a little more before beginning to slide the door open.

"Don't come in!" Len yelped, turning sharply. "I'll meet you downstairs." He was rooting through his drawers, trying to find what he needed. He stuffed an envelope in his jeans pocket hurriedly before looking at himself in the mirror. He was breathing heavily as he brushed a stray strand of hair away from his forehead. He thought he looked innocent.

A slow smirk crossed over his face, as he began to think of what he looked like. "A whole graveyard in my closet," he whispered to his reflection, chuckling to himself. The chuckle turned to a splutter, and within a few seconds, Len was doubled over with laughter. There were even tears in his eyes.

Len's room was messy. There were clothes strewn around everywhere, which of course, was quite normal for a boy of his age. However, if you looked behind the posters that were hung up, there were indentations in the wall. That was less normal.

The indentations had been made by Len's own fists. It was what he did when he stayed in his room due to 'sadness'. Whatever that was.

He paused for a moment, once again looking in the mirror. He swept the same piece of hair back and forth, wondering where it looked best. In the end, he gave up. It would move about anyway, when he and Rin were out.

The blonde haired boy went to the kitchen and took a seat. Rin had warmed up leftovers, and was dishing them out onto two plates. Len smiled to himself. It was like having a servant. Or a slave. Whatever.

"Here you go." A plate was placed in front of him, along with a knife and fork. He looked at the food with a glum expression and began to eat.

The pair sat in silence for a while. All that could be heard was them eating and breathing.

"I'm sorry, by the way," Rin mentioned casually, catching Len's eye. He held her gaze accusingly.

"That's okay."

"But you're upset!"

"I'm not. I know Kiyoteru annoyed you, and…that's _okay,__"_Len reasoned. "Have you finished eating?"

There was still a reasonable amount of food left on her plate. She nodded anyway. She wasn't hungry.

"Lets go out then, if you're finished."

"Again? Is that a good idea?" Rin frowned slightly. Kiyoteru would go crazy on her if they went out again. It was so dark outside, and after Miku…

"No."

Rin expected Len to be grinning goofily, but he wasn't. His eyes were focused intensely on her. Daring her.

"Where to then?"

"Just, about. I can show you some beautiful places."

"But it's pitch black outside, Len-"

"Are you coming or not?" He asked, standing up abruptly. She bit the inside of her lip and stood up, not even bothering to put the plates away.

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><p>'She certainly trusts me,' Len thought to himself. She was being submissive. Obedient. She was allowing herself to be led through the chills and darkness of the night.<p>

And she was okay with that.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked. There was fear in her voice, but only of the dark surroundings. The cold was making her uncomfortable, and Len hadn't shown her anything particular interesting yet. He had hardly talked to her, in fact.

After her eyes had adjusted to the dark, Rin had been able to recognise roads and paths. That was until she had been dragged into a forest of some sort. There were noises that she couldn't place, and when she ran her hand along the bark of a tree, it was rough and scratchy on her skin.

She wondered whether Len knew where he was going. All there was was trees and trees and trees. Eventually, however, he came to her stop.

"The river," he said. Rin wasn't quite sure if he was talking to himself or to her, but there was awe in his voice. He pushed his foot into the sand at the sides of the river, and closed his eyes for a second, before turning to Rin with wide eyes.

He asked her whether she thought it was peaceful.

"It's nice," Rin admitted, alert to all the sounds around her. She was worried. What if an urge suddenly over took her and she wanted to kill Len? She'd be in the perfect place, right?

"Sit down," Len urged her, sitting on the embankment himself. "We have time."

They didn't have time, seeing as they shouldn't have even left the house.

Sat side by side, Rin felt a wave of nausea. This was all too much. In the forest, so late at night, with her doppelganger. And her lighter. At least that was a comfort.

"Rin, when Miku went away, do you think she was scared?"

"Scared of what, exactly?"

"You."

There was an awkward pause. "She was scared of you getting harmed, I think."

Len nodded intently, before looking into the dark river. "Do you believe that perhaps we are doppelgangers?"

"No."

"No?"

"No!"

Rin turned, as she heard Len chuckling. He was still looking into the water.

"I think we are," he said softly. He came close to Rin, taking a handful of her hair gently and holding it next to his. "Same hair. Same eyes"- he looked into her eyes- "Same lips, same skin, same feet, same sadness, same loneliness, same mind."

He reeled off the list easily, took hold of Rin's shoulders and frowned. "You know it's true."

"I don't see why you're so happy about it," Rin huffed, shaking herself away from Len's grasp. She didn't like this one bit. He knew. He knew about her, and if she was going to kill him, then surely in order to survive, he would have to-

She began to panic just as a hand encircled her wrist.

"I've waited a long time for this," he breathed. His nails were digging into her skin and she didn't like it and she felt _scared_. Of _Len_.

"Len, let go."

"But I have so much to tell you! There's so much you don't know about doppelgangers. For example, do you remember this historic place you found during your computer sessions?" He paused, waiting for a reply that wasn't coming. "Luka and Luki Megurine, drowned right here. Poor, poor Luka.."

"Luki killed her?" Rin gulped. So Luki was the killer? Awful. Absolutely horrible.

"Huh?" Len looked surprised. "God, no. She just did her job very badly. I told her not to-"

"You-"

"Don't speech above me, if you don't mind," Len hissed. His eyes narrowed dramatically with some form of hate as he spoke to her. "Yes, I did know her. We were 'doppels' together. She told me these lovely stories about how one day I'd find my doppelganger and she put in the most gruesome murders ever. I was delighted."

Rin squirmed. Len would have been…ten years old, if the murder happened four years ago, was it? Or was it three? The details had blurred in her mind. But she did know that Len must have been one screwed up kid.

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><p><strong>AN: <strong>I'm sorry if there are mistakes in this, and I know you waited a long time! It's quite long, so, I hope that makes up for the lateness a little. This story is obviously coming to an end. :( The reason I took ages was because of school and things, I mean, wow, it's all going down at school, gosh. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this, and if you have time, please leave your thoughts!


	9. Ash And Flesh And Dead Plants

**Chapter 9.**

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><p>"As I said, I've been waiting a long time for this. It's my life ambition. So let's make it special, yeah?" Len had Rin on her stomach. Her face was close to the running water of the river, and Len was sat on her back, pinning her down neatly.<p>

"I don't see why you have to do this," Rin said weakly, staring at her reflection in the water. "What do you do after this? What happens?"

Len ignored the girl's questions. "To make this time extra special for us, I've decided to let you in on all the behind the scenes stuff." He produced an envelope from out of his pocket, and shuffled up along Rin's body so that when he leaned over, his face was visible in the water. Rin squirmed uncomfortably, with Len sitting on her shoulder blades. He was heavier than expected.

Ripping open the envelope, Len took out some small pieces of paper. They were small Polaroid camera shots.

"Here's the first one," Len remarked, taking one of the photographs and holding it in front of Rin's face. It was a picture of Kaito.

"What did you do to him?" Rin demanded. Her eyes flitted across the picture. It showed Kaito, walking somewhere. His face was turned slightly, so that the wide grin on his face was visible. Rin tried to figure out where the picture could've been taken, but her mind would not work.

"I was just coming to that."

Len let the first picture drop into the water, and quickly shoved the next one in Rin's face. When she saw it, she had no reply. She wished she was back in time. She wished she'd never got Kaito involved in this.

Kaito's body, all limp and pale, surrounded by long grass. His eyes were open, yet there was no life behind them. A few small cuts on his face, and mud on his fingers.

"If it makes you feel any better, I didn't make the cuts. Perhaps it was the grass or something, and the bruises I guess he got from being thrown down the hill. But, the poison would've made his insides feel like they were burning."

"You be quiet!" Rin yelped, struggling underneath Len. Without realising, she had begun to cry. Poor Kaito. "Be quiet right now!"

A swift knock to the head made Rin want to cry even more.

"I think you should choose your words more carefully, _Rin,_" Len hissed. His tone was lethal. He dropped the second picture in the water, and watched it drift down the water, curling at the edges and going soggy as it did so.

She bit her bottom lip; a weak attempt to stop her whimpers.

Len rolled his eyes. "Pathetic." As he said the word, he tilted Rin's head upwards, and let another small photograph invade her line of vision. A picture of Miku, tied up with a piece of dirty looking cloth around her mouth. She seemed to be somewhere dark and dusty. Panic filled her eyes, and if one looked carefully enough, one of her hands was scratching at the other viciously. "Just like her. This is where she started off. Right under your nose. Well, above your head. The attic, in that house. I led you right to her, but you got scared and wouldn't check it out."

Rin paused. Her forehead creased in worry as she began to frown and process thoughts. "You had this all planed out, right? Miku trusted you so much and you-"

"Killed her." Len finished the sentence for her. He let the picture he was holding drop, and swiftly replaced it with another image.

Miku's death had not been fair or pleasant. The rag that had held back any noise she made was dirty and tasted like sweat. Her head had been hurting with fear and confusion and crying. She didn't understand how she could've gotten everything so _wrong._ How Len could be like that.

She had partly hoped that he'd just get it over and done with quickly. Maybe he had a rifle, or a hand-gun or something?

It didn't turn out like that.

The picture that was held in front of Rin showed an old baseball bat. It had an unrecognisable signature scrawled upon it, and half of the bat seemed to be splintered. The item was covered in dust.

When Len had approached Miku with a baseball bat, a hot rush of adrenaline had flown through her veins, telling her to get out of there. Do something, quickly! However, she wasn't able to. Len was speaking to herm but she couldn't make out what he was saying. It all sounded the same; like a strange, gibberish drawl. He'd taken the baseball bat in his right hand, testing his swing. He then smiled at her gently.

The next picture thrust at Rin was vile. All the blood sprayed on the floor. The baseball bat left on the floor, discarded after its job had been done. Rin used her head to try and nudge the photograph into the water, but Len held it tight.

"I want you to look at it," he hissed. "Did you want that to happen to her? When you wanted her dead? When you said you didn't care?" There was a smugness in his voice that made his doppelganger's skin crawl.

Rin laid her head down against the sandy embankment of the river. It seemed like she was going to die. Her head felt hot, but her body was cold. She didn't want to die like this. Pinned underneath a disgusting murderer.

"What do you do, once I'm dead? What's the point of all this?" She asked, closing her eyes, despite the fact that this put her at a further disadvantage.

There was silence for a second. If Rin had had her eyes open, she would've noticed Len letting the picture drop, and float away.

"I just know it's the right thing to do."

"So there's no guarantee that after you kill me, your little doppelganger life will be complete? Is this just a game to you?" Anger took over Rin's body. This wasn't fair.

"It's the idea I've grown up with my whole life. It's what I'm supposed to do," Len insisted. Being slightly cocky, he lifted his weight up to become more comfortable. Feeling the shift, Rin took hold of Len's left leg, and pushed it harshly . The boy fell down with a yelp as Rin quickly scrabbled upwards.

Before she knew it herself, she was running. Where to, or in which direction, she wasn't sure. Her own breathing was echoing inside her ears, but she knew this was her only hope.

If this failed, then she would surely die. And despite her fear and her doubt, that thought alone was enough to keep her running.

She could soon hear footsteps that weren't her own, chasing behind her. Shit. He was coming after her so quickly and he was stronger than her and he had killed people.

Remembering that she had her lighter in her pocket, she took it out and held it in her hand. She stopped dead, listening to the approaching footsteps. She couldn't light up the flame right now; it would attract attention to where she was. She very slowly sat down in the forest.

If she had seen herself at that moment, she would've slapped herself. Why wasn't she running? Her present self would've argued that Len could hear her footsteps.

If she'd been collected enough at that point to debate at all.

A twig snapped. Breathing. Her own? Len's? She wasn't sure. She began to pray, which was something she had not done in a long while.

'Dear God,' she recited in her head. 'Please keep me safe. Please keep me safe. Please keep me safe. I'm sorry. I haven't been the best, but please keep me safe.'

"Why are you sitting down?"

Her eyes moved rapidly, trying to figure out where his voice was coming from. But it was so dark. With shaking hands and an uneven breath, she let the flame from her lighter flicker on.

Only to find that he was so close to her, standing above her. She didn't even make an attempt to get up, but only began to cry again. She felt so weak. So scared. She couldn't run and she couldn't hide and she had never wanted her life so badly.

"Come with me, now," Len insisted. A nicer tone that she'd anticipated, but she knew it was fake. She stood up, and they were once again in complete darkness.

They stood close for a moment, before her took her hand and began to lead her back to the river.

"No messing about this time," he warned sternly, as if he were a parent trying to get their child to go to bed.

"I…I don't want to die and I don't understand this."

"You don't have to."

Upon reaching the river, the pair realised how quiet it was. This alarmed Len for a second, but then he realised it wouldn't matter.

"Get down," he instructed.

Rin stood defiantly, waiting for him to make her. During her walk to the river, a part of her former self seemed to have perked up. Told her to get a grip. Die with dignity.

Sensing that Rin's attitude had changed, Len sighed bitterly. The girl was aggravating him now. Miku had been much easier to deal with, unlike this little bitch. He hated her. He always had, constantly, every second of the day. She was annoying and obnoxious and he knew that he had to kill her and he was damn well going to enjoy it.

"Get down," he instructed again, tugging at her hand aggressively. Rin sat down, cross legged, as if she were meditating.

That did it. She was testing his thin patience. The patience he had had with her ever since she had come to the stupid foster home.

Her pushed her backwards, onto her back, shoving his face close to her. Being so close repulsed Rin. Deciding that this was her last chance to make her mark, Rin, the former, naughty and confident Rin took her lighter, let the flame burn brightly and watched as she shoved it into Len's face.

The pain must have been significant, as it was enough to make him pull away, gritting his teeth and clutching his face,

"Fuck this. Fuck you. I've had enough," he roared, grabbing a fistful of Rin's hair and pulling her towards the river. "This is what you get. This is what you get, Rin. Maybe I could've been nicer if you hadn't crossed me like that. My face! My fucking face!"

Rin felt dread weigh upon her shoulders. She wasn't a girl in a film. She was going to die. Len had her face hanging above the river.

"There's no need for such bad language," Rin murmured. Which Rin spoke though? A bit of both, Rin supposed. There were one in the same really. It didn't anymore. Soon enough, she would be a 'was'. A person who wasn't there anymore.

And so, Len plunged her head into the river, his grip of her skull never lacking. As he felt her slight struggles weaken, - and end- he relaxed. His breathing become slow and calm.

When she was dead, he took her face out of the river, and turned her around. Her eyes were wide open, but glassy due to the nothingness behind them. He let the body drop to the floor, and stood up, his gaze lingering on the copse. He felt relaxed and light, yet there was a tense feeling too.

If he had killed his doppelganger had died, what was he now? What did he do now?

He left the body for a while. It was still dark, but he wasn't sure of the time. He collected piles of leaves and twigs, and brought them back near Rin's body. He took her lighter and arranged the leaves on her body, laying the twigs on top before setting them alight.

As the body burnt, he sat down, near it, wondering if the whole forest would catch fire. The fire eventually caught up to Rin's body, and the smell was horrid. His whole life had led up to this death, and it smelt like ash. Ash and meat and dead plants.

The fire did catch onto the forest floor, and he had to go. It would be on the news tomorrow. Forest fire, forest fire! But it didn't matter. He had his whole life ahead of him. He'd done what he needed to.

As he walked out of the forest, the opposite direction to the way he had came, his thoughts turned to Luka. What would she have done with her life if she had not been killed? By her doppelganger…?

He stopped still, surrounded by darkness and doubt.

He had killed Rin, but what did he do now? What did doppelgangers do?

Did they even exist?

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> And, that's the end! I hope this wasn't a huge anti-climax or disappointment, or anything. Thanks for reading, and if you have the time, please review!


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